Staff Directory

I love my job and getting to run all of our vocal music programming. I run the curricular choirs, as well as the extra-curricular show choirs, and help to music direct the musical. We’re proud to have the choirs represent the largest activity or club at Wahlert Catholic, taken part in a number of national and even international tours, and are excited to continue growing in the years to come. If you would need to contact me, please feel free to email.

I’m a University of Northern Iowa graduate who grew up in Bettendorf, Iowa. I have a Twitter account, @tehrmann, that you may follow. My account is protected but I will accept any follow request from a Wahlert student or parent.

As an alum of the Holy Family system, I am so excited to be back as a teacher! As a student, I attended Resurrection, Mazzuchelli, and Wahlert. In May of 2017, I graduated from Clarke University with a degree in Elementary Education with endorsements in Special Education and Reading. I spent the next year co-teaching at Bryant Elementary School as part of Clarke’s 4+1 program. In May of 2018, I graduated with my Master of Arts in Education degree with a focus on Instructional Leadership. In my classroom, I engage students using active learning protocols. I also work on building a growth mindset with my students by discussing the power of YET! In my free time, I enjoy reading and watching anything historical fiction, as well as baking new recipes I see on The Great British Bakeoff.

I am a member of the Sisters of St. Francis, Dubuque, Iowa. I enjoy teaching theology and sharing our Catholic faith. It is an honor to share our faith journey. I run for one of my hobbies.

I’ve taught English and journalism and advised the student publications for 39 years at Wahlert. For the past 9 years, I’ve been the English Department chairperson. For the past 13 years, I’ve taught a dual credit Composition credit for Northeast Iowa Community College. I’m a competent photographer, an effective writing teacher, a skilled writer, and a task-oriented leader.

Hello! I am Denise Grant, principal of Resurrection Elementary. A native “Hoosier,” I have known I wanted to be an educator since third grade. I received my undergraduate degree in Deaf Education from Ball State University in Muncie, IN, and moved to Iowa. Later, I went to the University of Iowa for an Elementary Education endorsement, then obtained an MA in Elementary Administration from Loras College. My experience includes teaching hearing-impaired students and grades 3, 4 and 5. I have been a principal for about 14 years!

My husband, Mike, and I have three children. My hobbies are snow skiing, swimming, watching football and reading, and Mike and I love to travel.

I am very honored to serve as principal of Resurrection Elementary, a National Blue Ribbon School. It is a joy to partner with our staff, parents, and community to provide a faith-filled and engaging educational experience which challenges our students to reach their full potential.

Ms Koch has taught music in Dubuque County Catholic Schools her entire career including 14 years for Holy Family. Her children: Christa, Danny & Ben are all Wahlert alums. Besides teaching music, she also directs the campus children’s choir and helps with liturgies. Ms Koch has her Masters in Music from UNI. She has also been an adjunct professor at Clarke University.

I am thrilled to be serving the families of Holy Family in a new position for the 2019-2020 school year. I was blessed in my previous position at Resurrection as the Resource Teacher to work with so many great students. I bring that enthusiasm with me to my new role. Since completing my master’s degree in Special Education, I have found a relentless desire to serve our students in this area. I also love spending time with my family, traveling, and cheering on the Packers, Cubs, and Hawkeyes! However, my favorite athletes live with me. My children are entering 8th, 10th, and 11th grades this fall at Mazzuchelli and Wahlert, and I live for watching them play! An interesting fact about me is that I like to bowhunt!

Hi, my name is Rhonda Koppes. I am married to John and have two daughters. Kayla is a full-time nurse with her BSN working at Midwest Medical and at Mercy. She is married to Luke Wilson. Kelli is beginning her second year of teaching in East Dubuque. I began teaching at St. Columbkille School in 1985 after graduating from Loras College. I have been here in different grade levels ever since. Currently, I am teaching 3rd grade. I also coach 7th-grade girls’ volleyball and basketball at Mazzuchelli Middle School. I enjoy reading, walking and spending time with my family and friends. Teaching is a profession that I love to do. I hope I can be an inspiration for the many young minds that I work with every day.

I teach Senior Religion and Why Am I Catholic. I moderate the STOP (Students Teaching Others Peace) Club. I am the Pep Rally MC. I have been married to my awesome wife Colleen for 38 years and we have 4 children and 3 grandchildren.

I love teaching at Wahlert Catholic! This my 40th year of teaching here. I also coach 8th-grade girl’s and boy’s basketball at Mazzuchelli Catholic. You can reach me via email or phone. Have a great school year! And, Go Golden Eagles!

My name is Lori Lahey and I have been teaching in the Holy Family System since 1988. I am married and have three children. I started my teaching career teaching in the elementary classroom. I have taught 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. I am currently teaching elementary art at St. Columbkille and Resurrection Schools.

This year marks my 30th year of teaching both in the public and private schools in Iowa and Wisconsin. I have taught at middle school and in the subject area of English, but the majority of my experience has been in high school and in the area of Spanish. I absolutely love being with the students and helping them on their way to life-long learning.

I’ve been an assistant coach for the girls’ tennis team here at Wahlert for two years and in charge of our knitting club. All are welcome even if you’ve never picked up a racket before nor knitting needles. We have enthusiasm and the love of the game for tennis and the passion and a desire to help others in need by donating what we make, whether it be scarves, hats, baby blankets or the like.

Finally, I have been privileged to take students to Spain on 8 different occasions. My favorite part is to see Spain through their eyes for the first time. In 12 days time, they become wiser and their minds are opened to a whole new world and a whole different way of living. The bonds they form with their travel mates and the culture and language authentizes their learning in the classroom and increases their skills by leaps and bounds.

Most importantly, I am truly lucky to have my husband Jim and my two grown sons, Michael and Nathan. They are the center and balance in my life and they make me feel loved and safe. Without my family and my faith in God, I would be lost.

Out of the five schools I’ve taught at, and I mean this sincerely, I’ve never felt so strongly bonded to our community of teachers and staff and what we offer both academically and spiritually to our students. We are always striving to do better for them.

Out of the five schools I’ve taught at, and I mean this sincerely, I’ve never felt so strongly bonded to our community of teachers and staff and what we offer both academically and spiritually to our students. We are always striving to do better for them.

My husband and I just relocated to Dubuque and I am thrilled to be a part of the Holy Family system as a school counselor at Resurrection. I have several years of experience as a teacher, an administrator and a counselor. I will be at school Monday afternoon, Tuesday and Wednesday all day and Thursday mornings. I am blessed with this opportunity to work with children in the Catholic School setting.

I’m so excited to join the Mazzuchelli staff for the 2019-2020 school year! I’m a 2017 Loras grad and previously served as youth minister at the Cathedral of St. Raphael/St. Patrick parish in Dubuque from 2015-2017. I was most recently the Director of Youth Ministry at St. Rita in Rockford. I love acting, talking about Jesus, and playing with my dog, Rocky. I can’t wait to form disciples at Mazzuchelli!

I have been with Holy Family Early Childhood for 21 years. I am the Early Childhood Coordinator and Director, at St. Joseph the Worker. If you would like to reach me, please email or call.

Hello! My name is Laura Ripley and I have taught grades Preschool through Second Grade in the Catholic school system for the past 20+ years. I have a BA degree in Elementary Education with Reading and Early Childhood endorsements, as well as a Master’s Degree in Education. My husband Shane and I enjoy spending time with our three wonderful children, Christopher – a Freshman at St. Ambrose University, and twins Isaac and Monica – Juniors at Wahlert Catholic High School. I consider it a blessing and a privilege to be a teacher in the Holy Family Catholic School System. I am thrilled to work with the Kindergarten students here at St. Anthony school and strive to provide each student with a comprehensive, faith-based education designed to meet the needs of every learner. Please feel welcome to contact me via email for more information about our program.

AP US History
US History

38th Year of teaching (29 at Wahlert)
12 years as a AP Reader
8 years as AP Consultant
Married to Jane (’78) for 37 years. Father of 4; grandfather of 6 (6th due in Feb.)
Contact me by email

Natalie M. Schira proudly serves as a member of the Wahlert Catholic English Department. She graduated from Saint Mary’s College in 2012 and subsequently joined the Holy Family team. Miss Schira’s highest priorities are her Faith and her students. She is available at any time by e-mail at NSchira@HolyFamilyDBQ.org or by phone after classroom hours. She also regularly updates Google Classroom and Twitter (@MissSchira). She is eager to work with you to address questions and offer support.

Originally from Dubuque, I am thankful to be teaching in the community in which I was raised and enjoy sharing my love for this beautiful tri-state area with my students. I have also been fortunate to teach and live in the Milwaukee area, which has opened my eyes to the blessings that this close-knit Wahlert community is fortunate to share. My husband, Sean, and I also work with Convivium Urban Farmstead to support their mission of creating community around food, along with our efforts to repurpose unused land into a shared garden space. My personal passion of protecting our shared home translates into both my teaching and personal life, and I love sharing that with my students in the hopes that they learn to share a portion of that passion.

Originally from the Madison area, I graduated from Verona Area High School in 2014. I attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where I studied Biology and Secondary Education, and graduated in 2018.

My professional interests include environmental science, human-caused climate change, socioemotional health, and mental health.

My personal interests include running, journaling, playing guitar, and reading.

A graduate of Marquette Catholic and Loras College. Started my teaching career in 2006 at Holy Ghost as the Director/PreK teacher for Early Childhood. In 2008, I moved into a full-time Pre-K position. I taught for 6 years. In 2012, I moved into the role of Technology Integration Coach and have loved it ever since! I currently reside in Dubuque with my husband Brad and three girls.

I am a Spanish Immersion Pre-K and ELL teacher, and I have been with Holy Family since 2008. I love when students learn another language in fun and exciting ways. I enjoy spending time with my family and all of our pets too. Here’s a link to my website: https://sites.google.com/a/holyfamily.dbq.pvt.k12.ia.us/mrs-t-s-spanish-immersion-pre-k/.

I am honored to be the new Principal of Mazzuchelli Catholic Middle School after serving as the Assistant Principal since we opened in 2006. Many of our teachers have been with us since the beginning of the Mazzuchelli journey and those who have joined us since then have also embraced our community and our mission. I look forward to working with our families to provide the best possible social, emotional, and educational environment for all of our students.

I graduated from Clarke University with a degree in Elementary Education and an endorsement in Music. I also hold a Reading endorsement from Upper Iowa University and an early childhood endorsement from Morningside.